The Manufacturing Report

How Two People Turned a Trip to Germany Into a Brooklyn Business Empire

What happens when a cartographer and a fashion stylist go to Germany and fall in love with a canvas bag? They come home and build an American business that celebrates hometown pride with every product. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Rachel Rheingold Berick and Michael Berick, co-founders of Maptote, a Brooklyn-based company that makes map-themed totes, pouches, home goods, and accessories — all manufactured in the U.S. They share how a 2006 trip to Hamburg inspired their first Brooklyn tote, how they grew from door-to-door sales to major retail partnerships with J.Crew, HBO, and museum shops worldwide, and what it takes to build a Made-in-America brand that’s approaching its 20th anniversary. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Check out our 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide! And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources https://www.maptote.com Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

Why This Silicon Valley Academic Chose Wood, Puzzles, and American Manufacturing

What happens when an electrical engineering professor decides to skip the MBA and just… start a business? For Dr. Maya Gupta, it led to Artifact Puzzles — one of the most distinctive puzzle companies in the country. Today, AAM President Scott Paul speaks with Dr. Gupta about how she bought a laser cutter, built a manufacturing operation from scratch in Silicon Valley, and grew Artifact Puzzles into a 15-year-old business now based in Port Townsend, Wash. They discuss her patented approach to puzzle design, how co-locating design and production drives innovation, surviving the COVID puzzle boom-and-bust cycle, and why manufacturing in America lets her offer something no overseas competitor can match: piece replacements, tight customer relationships, and puzzles that spark genuine joy. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Guest Resources https://www.artifactpuzzles.com Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

How China Evades American Tariffs and Gets Away With It

Winning a court case against unfair trade should mean justice, but for many American manufacturers, it doesn't. And it's costing them billions. Today, David Rashid of auto-parts maker Plews & Edelmann and Betsy Natz of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association reveal how Chinese companies are evading U.S. tariffs through transshipment, product misclassification, and third-country routing — and how winning trade cases still didn't level the playing field. They discuss the Alliance for Trade EnforcementNOW, the fight to pass the PALE Act, and why a dedicated DOJ trade crime unit is critical to protecting American workers and manufacturers. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. Check out our Made in America Directory! And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources Alliance for Trade Enforcement: https://www.enforcementnow.com David Rashid — Plews & Edelmann https://www.plews-edelmann.com Betsy Natz — Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) https://kcma.org Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya via Pexels

A Factory That Refused to Die

Buying a business is hard. Holding and growing it for decades is even harder. Today, Gat Caperton shares how he acquired a struggling West Virginia furniture maker at age 29 and spent nearly three decades building Gat Creek into a resilient, American-made manufacturer. He discusses applying lean manufacturing, investing heavily in technology, and surviving the “China Shock” by differentiating on quality and values. Gat also reflects on tariffs, sustainability, and how domestic manufacturing supports rural communities, jobs, and long-term economic resilience. 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources https://www.gatcreek.com/ Resources & Links Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest. or our bi-weekly version, ManufactureThis Check out our Made In America Directory And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing

Why This Army Veteran Refused to Make His Product Overseas

The idea for this company didn’t start in a boardroom — it started under a military helmet. Today, Scott Paul speaks with Haidar Hamoud, founder of HaakWear, about reinventing the traditional beanie through American manufacturing. Haidar shares how his U.S. Army experience inspired a patented stitch design that eliminates discomfort, why he chose to manufacture entirely in Cleveland, and how rigorous testing and customer feedback guide the company’s product development. They discuss the challenges of starting a manufacturing business from scratch and HaakWear’s commitment to community impact and ethical production.